Former Truro chief admits driving drunk

Former Truro Police Chief John Lundborn will lose his driver's license for 45 days and must enroll in an alcohol education program, pay about $1,400 in fees and stay out of legal trouble for a year after appearing in Plymouth District Court on Tuesday.

PLYMOUTH — Former Truro Police Chief John Lundborn will lose his driver's license for 45 days and must enroll in an alcohol education program, pay about $1,400 in fees and stay out of legal trouble for a year after appearing in Plymouth District Court on Tuesday.

Lundborn admitted sufficient facts to the charge of operating under the influence on Oct. 14, when he crashed a new police cruiser on Pilgrim Heights Road in North Truro. He also admitted sufficient facts to a charge of driving negligently.

Both charges are continued without a finding until Dec. 5, 2012, when there will be a final disposition of the case. Lundborn is on probation until then.

"Continued without a finding" is not a conviction and means Lundborn will not have a guilty finding entered on his record provided he completes probation without incident and doesn't face additional criminal charges.

Truro police Sgt. Craig Danziger arrested Lundborn at around 8:30 p.m. Oct. 14 after Cape Cod National Seashore ranger Lucas Lambrou came upon the chief's 2011 Dodge Charger police cruiser after it crashed head-on into a tree alongside the road.

Lundborn, who was appointed chief in April, has no prior record of driving under the influence of alcohol, his attorney, John Vigliotti, said in court Tuesday. Under state law, first-time adult offenders can reduce the amount of time they lose their licenses from a year to between 45 and 90 days by taking an alcohol education class. "I believe it's an appropriate recommendation for this particular circumstance," Vigliotti said.

A conviction could have resulted in Lundborn losing his license for a year, owing up to $5,000 in fines and facing a possible 2½ years in jail. Plymouth District Court Judge Brian Gilligan warned Lundborn that is still a possibility if he violates any aspects of probation or fails to pay the fees or complete the education program.

In the first-floor courtroom Tuesday, Vigliotti emphasized that Lundborn's clean driving record and his status as a married man with a child made him a good candidate for the alcohol education program.

"Yes," Lundborn said quietly as he stood with his hands folded in front of him. He was unaccompanied except for Vigliotti and was wearing a dark suit, a striped tie and black-rimmed glasses. He seemed to wince at times during the 10 or so minutes of court proceedings.

Gilligan asked Lundborn whether his last drink on the night of the crash was at a public or private establishment.

"Private," Lundborn said in a low voice.

Town officials maintain that Lundborn was alone in the car, and law enforcement incident reports from the state police, the Seashore and the Truro police either make no mention of another person or explicitly say only Lundborn was in the car.

Outside the courtroom, Lundborn and Vigliotti declined to comment.

Lundborn missed two prior court dates for arraignment because he was hospitalized after being released from Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis the morning after the crash.

The Truro Board of Selectmen accepted Lundborn's resignation as police chief on Nov. 16, following his 22-year policing career in town. The selectmen elevated acting Police Chief Kyle Takakjian to the permanent position on Nov. 16.

Cape Cod Times video: Alcohol program ordered for former Truro police chief Lundborn